Reinforcing student understanding of linked list operations in a game

Linked lists play an important role in learning basic Computer Science (CS) concepts among a number of different data structures. They are the basis for more complex data structures such as tree data structures. Recursion, stacks and queues can be effectively implemented using linked lists. We observe over the years that our students struggle with linked lists more than some other data structures. While students understand the concepts of stack and queue data structures faster, they need more time to understand and visualize the linked list and its operation algorithms. This paper presents a game-like instructional module called Space Traveler that aims to assist students to better understand and master the concepts of linked lists. Four CS undergraduate students developed it using GameMaker Studio in three months. The Space Traveler game looks like a classic snake game. The game supports practicing the linked list operations such as insertion, search and deletion. This paper presents the game design and implementation in detail and shares our experiences using this module in the CSC2331 Data Structure class at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in 2014. This module has been refined based on the feedback from students and instructors. The refined version will be used again in the upcoming semesters. A pretest, a posttest and a survey were developed and used in the evaluation process. In addition, a lab assignment was designed to accompany the game module. Initial assessment outcomes showed very promising student improvements as a result of the use of this game module in the classroom. The module has been made available online to benefit students at other institutions.